Dearborn Public Schools
The one thing all humans have in common is that each of us wants to be happy, says Brother David Steindl-Rast, a monk and interfaith scholar. And happiness, he suggests, is born from gratitude. An inspiring lesson in slowing down, looking where you’re going, and above all, being grateful.
According to Kelly Gallagher, “Part of the reason my students have such a hard time reading is because they bring little prior knowledge and background to the written page. They can decode the words, but the words remain meaningless without a foundation of knowledge. To help build my students’ prior knowledge, I assign them an “Article of the Week” every Monday morning. By the end of the school year I want them to have read 35 to 40 articles about what is going on in the world. It is not enough to simply teach my students to recognize theme in a given novel; if my students are to become literate, they must broaden their reading experiences into real-world text.”
Students: If you haven’t already, please be sure to turn on email notifications via Google Classroom.
Update for Argumentative Essay Timeline:
– first draft of essay checked in on Wednesday (11/09)
– self-review of rough draft Wednesday (11/09)
– peer edits (@ least two) on Thursday and Friday (11/10 – 11/11)
– second draft of essay due SOC on Monday (11/14) – if you still need peer-edits, do not start your second draft yet
– work on final revisions and typing final draft Monday – Wednesday (11/14-11/16)
– final draft of essays due, submitted via Google Classroom, by Wednesday, November 16th @ 11:59pm
Reminder: No final drafts will be accepted without the original draft with revisions and edits (which can be turned in on November 17th).
Late submissions will result in a reduction of points.
The Argumentative Essay is summative.
Please email me with any questions and/or concerns.
CCR Anchor Standards for Writing (Argumentation)
Below are the dates for our Argumentative Essay Writing Process Unit:
*these dates are subject to change (students will be given sufficient notice if there any changes in due dates)
Please note: “Although film is generally created for entertainment it can carry important message(s ) and present powerful arguments on social issues. Consider this medium and how as viewers we can make inferences, recognize purpose, and identify their intent to influence people.” (Adapted from DPS/ MAISA Unit)
As I review the assignments students submitted for their first card-marking period’s sustained silent reading novel, I would like to offer the following links to help students with some trends I have been noticing.
As always, these areas for growth will be addressed also in class, but in the interim, I invite you to make use of the links above to take an active role in your learning.
For more information about reading strategies, here’s a great link to information about close and critical reading (strategies which should be applied while reading their weekly article).
Last Friday (10/21) students went to the library to take their SRI Test to determine their Lexile Score. Students were then instructed to choose a novel based on their scores using resources on my iblog, “What Should I Read Next?”
SSR takes place twice a week for 20-30 minutes. Students are expected to come to class prepared with their SSR novels.
Here are the project parameters for the second card-marking period’s SSR novel project.
Students should be reading every night!
The Dearborn Optimist Club is holding their annual Essay Contest. This year students (all grade levels) are encouraged to contemplate the phrase “Chasing Optimism in the Face of Challenges” in an essay. The club awards cash scholarships: $500 for 1st place, $250 for 2nd, $125 for 3rd. First place essay will then be entered into a District Level Contest for a scholarship of $2500.00
Applications (with the rules for the contest) can be picked up in the Guidance Office from Ms. Dong. Deadline for essay submission: Thursday December 22nd, 2016
This is a great resource for questions regarding MLA citation and formatting!
Tomorrow we will be going to the library for SRI testing. After you get your results, the program will suggest books for you to read at your level. I encourage you to screenshot the recommendations for you to choose from.
To find books in your reading range (based on your lexile score): click here.
Also, for your consideration, click here to view a list of novels/texts every high school student should read before graduating. I urge you to consider reading something on this list for your next SSR novel.
Also of note, the DHS Media Center also provides a tool, “What Should I Read Next,” to find your next book!
For students planning on taking AP Literature in the future, here is a list of novels which frequently appear on the AP Lit exam.
